Brace for folding table legs



J. w. BEIGER 2,022,399

BRACE FOR FOLDING TABLE LEGS Original Filed` Jan. 16, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. d/m 1//256 ATTORNEY.:

Nov. 26, 1935.

Nov. 26, 1935. J. w. xsl-:KEERY BRACE FOR FOLDING TABLE LEGS 2 .Sheets-She-et 2 -Orignal Filed Jan. 16, 1933 v IINVE'NTOR. Y- dbb/7 VK 5e.

7 WJ ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 26, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BRACE FOR FOLDING TABLE LEGS John W. Beiger, Ludington, Mich., assigner to The Carrom Company, Ludington, Mich.

4 Claims.

This is a division of my application Ser. No.

651,871, filed January 16, 1933issued as Patent l No. 1,987,767, January-15, 1935.

The objects of this invention are:

5 First, to provide a folding leg unit assembly for use on folding table frames which unit can be assembled as such and then easily installed in the corner of a table frame.`

Second, to provide such a unit that is made substantially entirely of sheet metal stampings.

' Third, to provide such a unit with a double brace. Y

Fourth, to provide such a unit with a xed brace of special design.

Fifth, to provide such a unit in which the legs of the table, when installed, extend diagonally inward from the side of the table to clear fixed braces on similar legs.

Further objects and advantages pertaining to details and economies `of construction and operation will app-ear from the description to follow. A preferred embodiment of my invention isy illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a'. bottom plan View of a table with my corner assembly units installed.

Fig. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the corner of a table showing one of my units installed in the corner of the table.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a corner of a card table with. my unit installed therein showing the table in up side down position and showing the operation of my `device in dotted lines.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View of my bracket with the leg in open position.

Fig. 5 is a section through the leg and guide Vfor the foldingbrace taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the leg showing the folding brace and guide therefor in operation.

The parts will be identified by their numerals of reference which are the same in all the views.

I is a table top having a frame composed of side members 2 put together to form the corner 3. 4 is my improved unit folding leg assembly having a bracket 5 having arms 6 and 'I adapted to be fastened to the frame of the table as shown in Figs. l and 2 by means of screws 8 and having a right angled corner portion 9 in which the table leg is pivoted and an offset portion Il) on which a folding leg brace is pivoted. On the other arm 5 of the bracket is a struck-up ear II spaced considerably from the corner portion 9. The bracket as shown isformed of a strip of metal bent to the form shown and described.

(Cl. S11-98) It can be made as a stamping or otherwise. It would be possible to cast the same, althoughfor purposes of economy the stamping is desirable.

A table leg I2 is pivoted in the corner portion 9 and has thereon a fixed brace comprising a 5 metal` strip I3 fastened at its lower end to the leg I2 at a point It. spaced from the end of said leg. The portion of the strip I3 is bent away from the leg of the table to form a brace member I5 having its upper end `spaced from the end of 10 the leg I2. The end I6 of the strip I3 is bent back to the table leg and down as at I l to form an abutment, the abutment and portion I6 acting as a spacer to keep the end of the brace I5 spaced from the end of the table leg. 15

The portion Il'` and the brace member I5 are bored, as well as the table leg, to receive a rivet I8 extending therethrough and through the corner portion 9 and the ear II on the bracket to form a pivoted construction for the leg. The 20 portion Il of the metallic strip I3 may be fastened to the table leg if desired, although that is not shown in the drawings.

On the opposite side of the leg I2 from the fixed brace I5 is a brace guide I9 formed of a 25 metal strip having its ends bent up as at 29 to form flanges through which a pivoted brace 2l will slide. The guide I9 is pivoted to a rivet 22 which has an enlarged head 23 extending into the guide member I9 to form a stud. A washer 24 30 is provided to avoid friction. The rivet 22 extends through the table leg and through the metallic strip i3 as at I4 to fasten the 'fixed brace to the leg so that it will pivot with the leg as a unit. 35

A folding or pivoted brace 2| is pivoted to the offset portion I0 of the bracket and is of spring metallicV material so arranged that it exerts a spring pressure toward the leg of the table. Spaced from the end thereof is an aperture 25 40 adapted to fit over the head 23 of the rivet 22 when the leg is in open position. A portion 2B of the brace 2I extends beyond the guide member to provideV means for raising the aperture 25 out of engagement with the rivet head 23 when 45 it is desired to fold the leg.

In operation, in opening the table the brace 2I slides through the guide I9 until the leg is in open position. The head 23 then passes through the aperture 25, locking it in position. To prevent 50 pulling the brace 2| from the guide I9, I provide stops 2'I to engage the guide as the leg reaches the open "position, The sides 28 and 29 of the corner portion 9 extend at angles to their respective arms l on the bracket so that when the leg 55 is pivoted therein it extends diagonally in from the edge of the table when in the closed position, permitting the end of the leg to clear the fixed brace on similar legs installed at the other corners of the table. This is necessary because in a table of the card table size, the legs must be of such length that they would, if allowed to lie adjacent the side, strike against the fixed braces.

It will be seen that I have provided a simple and effective folding leg unit for installation in folding tables. The arrangement is such that the leg will lie diagonally in from the edge of the table and this arrangement is leffected at the least possible expense without the necessity for forming the corner of the table to make a seat for a pivoted leg.

The folding brace or pivoted brace has a very effective and positive action and cooperates with the means for fastening the other brace to produce a highly simplified construction.

I have shown and described the embodiment of my invention preferred by me but wish to claim the same broadly as well as specifically, as pointed out in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: i

l. A folding leg assembly adapted to be installed in the corner of a table top frame comprising a bracket having arms adapted to be secured to the table frame, a right angle corner portion to receive a pivoted leg, and an offset portion on one arm to receive a pivoted leg brace and a struck-,up ear spaced from said corner portion on the other arm of said bracket, a leg and fixed brace thereon disposed between said corner and said ear, said fixed brace having its lower end xed on said leg at a point spaced from the end thereof and having a portion bent away from said leg to form a diagonal brace member and having its other end bent back to the end of the said leg to form a spacer whereby the end of the leg and the end of the brace member are kept in spaced relation, a rivet throughsaid corner portion and said ear and on which said leg and said fixed brace are pivoted, and a brace pivoted to said offset portion of said arm and means on said leg to engage said pivoted brace, said corner portion having each side at an angle to said arms, whereby the leg mounted therein when in folded position extends diagonally away from the sides of the table frame, whereby the base of said leg will clear fixed braces on similar legs.

2. A folding leg assembly adapted to be installed in the corner of a table top frame comprising a bracket having arms adapted to be secured to the table frame, a right angle corner lits other end bent back to the end of the said portion to receive a pivoted leg, and an oifset portion on one arm to receive a folding leg brace and a struck-up ear spaced from said corner portion on the other arm of said bracket, a leg and xed brace thereon disposed between said corner and said ear, said fixed brace having its lower end fixed on said leg at a point spaced from the end thereof and having a portion bent away from said leg to form a diagonal brace member and having leg to form a spacer whereby the end of the leg and the end of the brace member are kept in spaced relation, a rivet through said corner portion and said ear and on which said leg and said xed brace are pivoted, and a folding brace from 1` said offset portion to said leg, said corner portion having each side at an angle to said arms, whereby the leg mounted therein when in folded position extends diagonally away from the sides of the table frame, whereby the base of said leg will clear fixed braces on similar legs.

3. A folding leg assembly adapted to be installed in the corner of a table top frame comprising a bracket having arms adapted to be secured to the table frame, a right angle corner portion to receive a pivoted leg, an ear spaced from said corner portion on one arm of said bracket leg, a fixed brace thereon disposed between said corner and said ear, said fixed brace comprising a metallic strip having its lower end 5' fixed on said leg at a point spaced from the end thereof and having a portion bent away from said leg to form a diagonal bracemember and having its other end bent back to the end of said leg to form a spacer, whereby the end of the leg and the end of the brace member are kept in spaced relation, a rivet through said corner portion and said ear and on which said leg and said fixed brace are pivoted, and a folding brace from Yone arm of said bracket to said leg.

4. The combination of a pivoted table leg, a leg brace adapted to be attached to said leg and the Divot therethrough comprising a metallic strip fastened by one of its ends to one side of said leg at a point spaced from the upper end thereir of, and having a portion bent away from the leg to form a diagonal brace member, and having its other end bent back to and abutting against the same side of said upper end of said leg to form a spacer, whereby the end of the brace 5 member and the .end of the leg are kept in spaced relation, and a rod extending through said leg and passing through the abutting portion of said brace and Vthrough the portion thereof spaced from said leg to form a pivot for said leg and 55 brace.

JOHN W. BEIGER.. 

